Head mechanism for filter-presses



J. A. McCASKELL.

HEAD MECHANISM FOR FILTER PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 25, I917.

Pawnted Mar. 15, 1921.

Mama

Jaspe abbowmd head, to'be fully exposed for removal and UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JASPER A. MGCASKELL, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, ASSIGNOR'TO KELLY FILTER PRESS 60., 0F SALT LAKE CITY,

" HEAD MECHANISM UTAH, A CORPORATION OF UTAH.

FOR FILTER-PRESSES.

Patented Mar. 15,1921.

Application filed April 25,1917. 7 Sa a No. 164,382.

To all whom it'may concern: I 7:

Be it known that I, JASPER A. McCAsKELL, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah,.have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in Head Mechanism for Filter-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention which relates to certain new and-useful improvements in head-mechanisms for. all kinds of tanks and receptacles, has been found ofgreat value when used in connection with apparatus for separating and filtering solidsof whatever nature from liquids. The present invention is distinctly related to the type. of apparatus shown in my former Patent No. 1,244,222, dated Oct. 23,1917, and it is an improvement on the head-locking devices disclosed in Patents Nos. 1,015,960, dated January 80, 1912, and 1,015,961,.dated January 30, 1912, issued. to DavidJ. Kelly,

The present invention consists, essentially, of an improved quick-locking mechanism employing an automatic toggle-arrangement and other instrumentalities, whereby the motion used in unlockingthe connection be tween the movable head and the casing is also employed to positively move said head and easing relatively for any desired distance," to enable the carrier and filter, elements which are usually attached to the for cleaning and other purposes; the arrangement is also such that the reverse motion of the actuating devices causes the head and casing to be again relatively moved so that the casing will inclose the filtering ela ments and at the completion of this movement and when the two parts are assembled substantially for operating purposes a continued movement of the actuating mechanism results in the head being tightly locked against the end of the casing to make a fluid tight joint therewith.

My invention also consists of the partsand the constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts which I will hereinafter describe and claim. V t V In' the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and in which similar reference characters indicate like parts in the several views-- Figure lis a side elevation ofv a filter press showing my improved actuating mechanism applied thereto. v r

Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing-the posi tion of the parts after the casing and head have been given relative movement to substantially their maximum extent.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail showing a portion of an actuating sprocket chain and its adjuncts and a fragment of the shaft, 14.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 3.

In the aforesaid prior patents will be found disclosures of mechanisms for hydraulically locking the head connection between the tank and head of a filter press, of a well known type; and in my prior Patent NOQLQQQQQQ hereinbefore mentioned, I have disclosed a mechanism for producing two distinct results; viz. the initial unlocking of the head from the correspondingopen end of the casing and second, the imparting of a longitudinal motion to the head and its at tached carrier and filtering agents whereby lcombine in practically a single actuating mechanism a means for opening and closing the head locking mechanism and for moving the head and tank relatively to enable the filtering agents to be withdrawn entirely from the casing for such purposes asmay be desired.

In the present instance. I have provided a simple form of mechanism for giving relative movement to the casing and its head and attached parts, butjin this instance, it is the shell itself which is moved relatively to the head, and a more simple mechanism is devised'for effecting first the unlocking of the head mechanism and, second, the relative longitudinal movement of the shell and head. In the aforesaid drawing a tank, 2, of sub stantially cylindrical form and of any de sired capacity is closed at one end and open at the'opposite end, the open end being surrounded by an annular ring or flange, 3, which is perforated at numerous points to receive the shanksof suitableU-bolts, 4, or the like for the engagement of appropriate locking levers, which Iwill hereinafter'mention. a As in the aforesaid prior patents, the tank carries upon its exterior sides suitable wheels or. rollers, 5, which are designed to travel on tracks supported on I-beams along the outer sides of said tank. 011- its interior, the tank is also provided with longitudinally extending rails, 6, which are engaged by wheels, 7 appropriately mounted on the filter carrier, 8,- to which the head of the apparatus is rigidly attached, said carrier furnishing a sup port for filter frames, or agents, 9. This arrangement is common to the so called Kelly filter press of the patents hereinbefore men tioned'.

While I may use in connection with the present improvements, head-lockingmechanism, I deem it sufiicient for present purposes to disclose a mecha- 'nism,for this purpose, which shall include the radiating levers, 10, whose outer ends are adapted to engage the U -bolts, ehand 'whose inner ends are pivotally connected to a sleeve, 11'. slidably mounted on a stud, or

' short shaft, 12, fixed to and projecting from the center of the head, 13, of the press, a whichhead, as before described, is fixedly secured to the filter frame carrier, 8. A longitudinal movement is designed to be given I'th e sleeve forthe purpose of locking and unlocking the levers so as to release the head, in one instance, to allow the head and shell or casing of the press to be moved one relatively to the other, and in another instance, to tightly draw these parts into intimate contact to produce a leak-tight joint thereabout, when a transmission mechanism A mechanism for versely across an extension of a supporting L frame or structure, 15, and suitables links,

16, or like elements on theshaft and appropriately connected to the sliding collar. These parts may not differ materially from similar parts of my former application and as they are not claimed herein, I have not thought it necessary to illustrate them in detail, and will only say that any suitable mechanism may beemployed, both for the locking mechanism and a means for actuating the same to effect, first, the initial unlocking of the'head 'fro-m the tank and second, a fi'nal locking of the head to the tank after the tankand head have been assembled as in Fig. 1.

A leading feature of the present case is the employmentrof some simple form of transmission by which the relative movement of the shell or casing and head and its carrier -may be-produced, and the head- 'lOCklYlgLIIlQClliHllSlfh-lOCl eCl and unlocked at the'beg inningand completion of said move- IIlGil'CSdIl opposite directions. The mecha- IIISIII -WlllChYIhflV shown for this purpose consists of suitable endless'chains, 17, one

extending along each'side of the press, said chains-passing over sprocket wheels, 18, at -the rear end of the press, said 1 sprocket e chains being'carried by a transverse shaft,

any suitable form of 19, on which is mounted an appropriate motor, and suitable sprocket wheels, 21, on the outer ends ofv the transverse shaft, 1d, at the head end of the machine, there being also shown at the head. end of the machine suitable idler pulleys, 22, which are designed to take up slack in the chains, and I to more or less rigidlyhold'th'e cha1ns 1n proper place on the sprocket wheels, 21;

" The chains, 17, are designed to be connected in some appropriate manner, to the shell or casing and in the drawings Thave shown the connection as beingto suitable arms, 23, projecting laterally from the ring or flange, 3, which surrounds the open end of the casing, but this is immaterial as the connection could otherwise be made; in fact it might be made at other points on the shell, the purpose beingto so connect the chains that they will exert a direct pull on the shell according to the direction in which the chains are moved. lVhile a'l'eading object of the present invention is to impart a relative movement tO' tl16 shell and its clo-v sure or head, I have in-the present instance illustrated the head as being statlonary and fixed to the aforesaid; frame, 15, or'its' equivalent, and I have so connected the transmission to the tank that said tank 'is moved to and from the stationary head, but manifestly a similar result will be obtained by fixing the shell in place and moving'the head and its carrier relatively thereto.

Interposed in the chain and appropriately connected thereto are suitabletoggle levers, 24 -25, and fixed to some stationary part of the structure, as for instance to the guide rails on which the'pulleytravels, is a cam or incline, 26,'the-purpose of which is to break the joints of the levers, in one instance, and' to allow the levers to straighten out, in another instance, as'I will herein after ien'tion, this or a similar action, as more fully described in 'my prior patent heretofore mentioned, being" desirable to provide for movement of the transmission chains in one direction to enable the head locking mechanism to be unlocked before travel is imJa-rtedto the shell or casin a a g.

thatthe. sprocket chains, 17 are provided with'latera'l projections which may be in the form of longpins, 27, and that'on the a shaft, 14, atopposite sides of the: sprocket wheel, 18, there are fixed to saidfshaftthe extending dogs orarms', 28-29, whose outer ends are notched or otherwise provided for engagement with the projecting-portions of It will also be noted from Figs, 3 and a,

the pins, the purpose of which construction will be readily understood from the follow ing description of the operation of the sevoral parts:

Assuming that the shell and head have been assembled in locked position, as shown in Fig. 1, in order to (men the tank, the m0- tor, 20, is started and through its shaft and the sprocket wheels, 18, the link-belt chains, 17, are set in motion. At the same time the shaft, 14, is caused to be actuated through the sprocket wheels, 21, by the link chains, the said chains engaging the arms or dogs, 28, therebycausing these dogs to move rearwardly and rota-ting'the shaft, 14, to cause the links, 16, to actuate the sleeve, 11, and thus pullout the inner ends of the locking levers, 10, as shown in Fig. 2, and thereby releasing the head from its locked position against the open end of the shell or casing. As the chains 17 continue to move backward, a member, 25, of the toggle connection will ride down the incline, 26, to thereby permit the links, 24, to straighten out substantially in line with the chain and by the time this occurs, the head-locking devices before described will have been operated to their full extent and hence the continued pull on the chains due to the driving of the motor, will result in the pull of the chains being transmitted directly to the shell or casing, causing the latter to travel rearwardly away from the stationary head and for such distance that it will entirely clear the filter carrier and its contained frames, as shown in Fig. 2. In this position the filter frames are fully exposed and the solids which have accumulated on the sides of these frames during the filtering operation, may be readily removed or discharged in any suitable manner and when the frames have been cleaned and the press is ready for another cycle of operation, the motor, 20, may be started, this time in a direction opposite to its first described movement, and the chains, 17, are caused to reverse their former direc tion of movement, when the casing will be drawn toward and over the alined filter car rier andframes and toward the stationary head. Until just before the completion of this movement, the toggle-links, 24l25, remain in their straightened position, but when the member, 25, of this link'connection contacts with and rides upthe incl.ine .26, the joints of the toggle-links are broken and the links are caused to fold substantially in the position shown in Fig. 1, which operation 00- curs'just about the time that the face of the ring or flange on the. front or open end of the tank comes into contact with the 1111161" face of the closing head. It is also just about this-time that the arms, 29, on the shaft, 14:, engage the laterally projecting pins, 27, on the link drive chains, 17, so that as the chain continues to move the shaft, 14, will be rotated in a direction opposite to that first described and the arms, 29, or their equivalents will actuate the sleeve, 11, and

force it backwardly thereby rocking the levers, 10, about their fulcrums adjacent to or int-he U-bolts, 4:, and forcing the levers rearwardly to tightly clamp the head against the open end of the casing, the parts assuming the position shown in Fig. l.

The operation of the motor is then stopped and the filtering and washing operations usually conducted in a press of this character are carried out and the press remains in its closed position until another cycle of operation has been completed, when the head-locking devices are again operated and the press and head move relatively to again expose the filter carrier and its frames to permit sedimentary matter or cake material on the frames to be discharged.

Such accessories as may be necessary to effect the foregoing operations are of minor importance and will be readily understood and supplied by those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. The combination with a shell or casing, a head or closure therefor, a head-locking mechanism, and endless chains extending along the sides of the shell and connected thereto, of a tranverse shaft adjacent the head and head locking mechanism and connected to the latter, sprocket wheels on said shaft over which the chains pass, said chains having laterally projecting pins and said sprocket wheels having projections disposed in the path of said. pins and engaged by the latter to rock said shaft and thereby actuate the head locking mechanism.

2. In apparatus of the character described the combination of a shell or casing having an open end, a head adapted as a closure for the open end of the shell or casing, means including endless transmission elements for imparting relative movement to the shell and head, said elements being connectedto one of said parts, a head-locking mechanism for intimately connecting the head to the shell when one of said parts is closed against the other, a transverse shaft 'journaled at one end of the apparatus and connected to the head locking mechanism, said shaft carrying arms or dogs which proj ect into the path of travel of the transmis sion elements, and said elements having projections to engage said arms or dogs to rock the shaft and actuate the head locking mechanism.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

J. A. McCASKELL. 

